Disclaimer: This is my perspective on characters
that belong to DC comics.

So all rights and stuff go to them except for the
character(s) that I make

Up.

"Batman,
we found something. We think you should see."

"What
is it, Barbara?"

"It's at Arkham. Or he's at Arkham."

"Who's
at Arkham, Barbara?"

"Phoenix."

Chapter 21: From the
Ashes

"He
turned up a while ago, at first we didn't know
anything about him. As a matter of fact, for a long time we didn't know
anything. He never says anything." Doctor Mines said, "He seems utterly
unresponsive."

"Can I
see him?" Batman asked.

"Yes,
but I must warn you, his appearance is...disturbing." Doctor Mines said quickly.

Batman
nodded, ignoring the cat calls and inmates shouting at him. He walked into the
room and his jaw almost dropped. Phoenix, the boy who had died years ago, was
sitting alone in the light. There was darkness around him but he sat in the one
spot of light.

"It's a
bat. Can't be a bat. He's a man." Phoenix babbled, "The
Man is locked inside the box."

"The box?" Batman asked, "You mean Arkham?"

"The box. I don't know who I am." Phoenix said, distraught.

"Maybe
we should leave..." Doctor Mines insisted.

Batman walked over to Phoenix, "Your name is Phoenix Rainer! You're...You're..." he
stammered, but stopped when he realized none of it was going through.

"Insanity...sanity..."
I laughed, "It's all about what you know and what you don't."

"When
did he show up here?" Batman asked.

"A few days ago." Doctor Mines replied, "He was unresponsive when he
first arrived."

"And then?"
Batman asked.

"And
then he started babbling incoherently. Our first thought was to notify his next
of kin, but his father was out of the country." Doctor Mines explained.

Batman
scowled, "What were you going to do, lock him up with the criminals?" he
demanded.

"This
is an asylum." Doctor Mines said, "And he is in need of psychiatric help."

"Do I
get to ride in the shiny car?" I asked cheerily.

"Batman,
I understand your concerns, but..." before he could finish, I knocked him out
from behind.

Batman
looked at me, "I didn't think he'd ever shut up." I frowned.

-

I stood
in the BatCave, looking at the suits. I noticed mine
wasn't in there, which wasn't a big deal because, hey, I was a villain. I mean,
but I did save Gotham...that meant something...right? I felt good. A little off,
but good. I couldn't really remember much about the
last few years, but I did remember everything before I died. How did I know I
died? When you die, you just know it. I couldn't remember where I had gone, if me saving the lives of all the Gotham residents really
mattered. I couldn't even remember why I was there; what made me come back from
the dead to be here? I did remember that awful Asylum, thank God I'd only been
there a few days. I couldn't help but worry a little. The doctor hadn't been
completely wrong, I was having bouts of incoherence.
My mind was bouncing from one erratic thought to the next. I was getting all
these visions in my head.

"Lots
of things have changed." Bruce said, sitting at the computer. His cowl was off
and he seemed to be looking at me through the reflection, "I have a son."

I
chuckled, surprised, "Way to go, Bruce. He must be about, what, eight?" I
asked.

Bruce
didn't answer.

"Is he
older than me?" I joked.

"No."
Bruce said darkly.

I
walked over to him and the computer, "Definitely not after I died, right? I'm
guessing Selina Kyle." I said.

"No. And Talia Ghul." Bruce said, still
typing.

I
chuckled, "You've got to be kidding!" I frowned, "Next you're gonna say Jason's back from the dead."

Bruce
was silent.

"Oh God! Where is he?" I asked.

"Your
guess is as good as mine." Bruce said.

"And Dick? Tim? Barbara?" I asked, "Alfred hasn't died yet, has he?"

"Good
Lord." Alfred said, dropping the silver platter, "You said you had a guest...I
never imagined..."

I
smirked, "Hi to you too, Al." I said, hugging him. He was still shocked, "Don't
worry, I don't want to eat your brains."

"The
body was never found." Bruce said.

"Can we
not call me the body?" I asked.

Alfred
looked as if he had seen a ghost, "Where have you been, if I may be so bold,
Master Fox?" he asked.

"Hell
if I know, Al. Alls I remember is being back here." I
said, "The pain was excruciating, though. I mean, being disintegrated was...wow."

Bruce
and Alfred looked at each other, worried.

"My
dad...he's still alive, right? I mean I know the doctor said he was, but that
guy..."

"He
remarried." Bruce explained, "You have a sibling."

I
looked at them oddly, "So, you're saying that my dad replaced me and my
mother?" I asked.

"He was
devastated, sir." Alfred snapped, "I'm terribly sorry, sir, but no one was more
upset. Well, almost no one."

I put
my hands up, "Down, Jeeves, it's just a lot to
handle." I frowned.

"Who's
that guy?" A kid, well not kid, said. He looked to be pubescent.

"Lemme guess, you're the spawn of Batman." I said, walking
over and extending my hand, "Nice to meet you."

The boy
just looked at me and scowled.

"Wow,
that's genetic." I said.

"What
is?" the boy asked.

"That broody attitude." I said, "Don't know what I expected. I thought
you'd at least smile."

"Damian,
this is Phoenix." Bruce said.

"Huma?" Damian asked.

"I'll
never live that down, will I?" I chuckled.

"You
are evil." Damian said.

"You're
not going to attack me, are you? I'm not sure if I have any powers." I said
quietly.

Damian
still looked to be sizing me up.

"Again with the brooding?" I smirked.

"I
don't know if I like you." Damian said.

"Fair enough." I shrugged, "No one's answering the question that should be on
everyone's mind."

"And
what would that be, Master Fox?" Alfred asked.

"If you
can't come up with that one on your own, I'm not going to tell you." I said,
walking to the computer, "You're trying to find Jason?"

"Villain? Maybe I can help him." I said, "Maybe that's my destiny or
something."

"I'm
not sure he can be helped." Bruce said indifferently. I had known him a long
time and I knew not to take that at face value, "He's so lost. He thinks..."

"He
thinks he's right. He thinks this was always him." I said, "I can relate."

"I
never stopped and asked you how you were holding up." Bruce said.

I
leaned on the computer, "Honestly...no clue."I smiled.

Bruce
looked at me, "I have to go. Alfred'll be here." He
said.

"We're
going out? Yes!" Damian said excitedly.

"If you
think I'm staying in your big, luxurious...mansion...what was I saying?" I asked,
"Oh, right, if you think I'm missing any action, you're wrong."

"I
can't take you with me." Bruce said, standing and putting on his cowl, "It's
too dangerous."

"Did
you forget that I used to kinda work the streets...wow, that sounds so much worse than it was." I said, "Or not
worse enough. I was a frigginsupervillain."

"May
be, but that was a long time ago." Batman said darkly. I could tell the
difference between Bruce and Batman, if there was such a thing. You could argue
with Bruce, but not with Batman.

"What
makes you think I won't leave just after you?" I asked.

Batman
looked at me with anger, "Just a guess." He said, sweeping away. Damian
followed him into the Batmobile. I sighed looked to
Alfred, who smiled politely. I smiled back. Here I was, stuck in this huge,
luxurious mansion with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs.

-

"Hello,"
I said quietly, "Dick? Yeah. It's me. I don't exactly know how either. It just sorta happened. I don't know. I don't know. Well, I do know
that I'm back. I don't know for how long. It's just enough that I'm back now.
You don't have to come...Dick...Hello?"

He hung
up after questioning me. He wanted to come here but I knew that wouldn't be a
good idea. Who knew if this thing was
permanent or even how long it would last. I may be devoid of my powers, but I
wasn't devoid of common sense.

"Master
Fox," Alfred said, causing me to turn and see my father and a very beautiful
woman with what looked like a two year old, "Your father is here."

I just
stared at first. We both did. This wasn't expected. This wasn't part of the
plan.

"Daddy?" I asked.

"Phoenix?
Is it really you?" Dad asked.

"Alfred,
you shouldn't have done this." I said quickly, still stunned.

"I
thought you would be happy, Master Fox." Alfred said, confused.

"I am!
I am." I said, "I just..."

"You
must be exhausted and...God knows what else! Batman said that you died saving
Gotham." Dad said.

"I
did." I said.

"Then
how can you be here?" Dad asked.

"I
don't really know." I said.

"Are
you okay?" Dad asked.

I
looked past him to his wife and child, "They told me you got married." I said,
"Hi." I waved.

As I
held Jack, I looked into his doe-like eyes and smiled to myself. He looked like
dad. They were wrong, Dad had moved on and he shouldn't have been brought back
here. It was better if they had never known I was back. I never, in my wildest
dreams, thought this would happen. I wasn't mad anymore, not at dad. This was
how things were meant to happen. He deserved closure. And that's exactly what I
was going to give him.

"Alfred,
we need some privacy." I said.

"Yes, Master Fox." Alfred nodded, leaving the room.

"I'm
sure you want some alone time." Cynthia said, taking Jack.

"No.
You should stay. You all need to hear this." I said, sitting on the couch.

They
sat opposite me. I looked at them. We were all silent and for good reason.

"So..."
Dad said.

"Dad,
you have to leave." I said, "And you can't remember any of this."

"What?"
Dad asked, alarmed.

I
closed my eyes and opened them again, "You and Cynthia will leave. You will not
remember that I'm alive. You will take Jack and live happily ever after," I
said, extending my will into them, "You will remember me, but you will not stop
life because of me. You will be happy and know that I love you and I'm with my
mother now."

Dad and
Cynthia looked blank.

I teared up, "You're going to go back to life without me." I
said quickly.

Without
another word, they got up and left. Dad paused at the door, as if he was
fighting it, but continued with his wife and child. I felt, for the first time
since I had returned, I felt like I was just a relic lost in the past. I made
my way back down to the Batcave and saw that the
computer was going crazy. I walked over and pressed enter, causing Barbara to
pop up on the screen. She looked, like everyone else, as though she had seen a
ghost.

"You'll
never guess what I had the scientists of Gotham build me!" Joker smirked.

"I was
wondering what was under the sheet." Red Hood said, looking to whatever was
covered by the sheet.

The
Joker pulled a gun, to which Jason pulled another gun on him.

"Looks
like a dilemma." I said, stepping out and aiming one gun at the Joker and the
other at Jason.

"You!"
The Joker cackled, "Now this is a reunion!"

"Phoenix,
what are you doing?!" Batman shouted.

"You're
alive?" Jason asked.

"Back at you." I smirked, looking to the Joker, "The mafia, the media and
drugs...and I'm killed by a psychotic clown."

Joker
smirked.

"You
came all the way back to complain?" Jason asked.

"I kinda figured that this confrontation would happen on the
roof of a train or something." I said, "Kind of anti-climatic, if you ask me."

"You
knew this was going to happen?" Batman asked.

"That
the Joker was going to build the same machine that killed me? Yeah, I might've
seen this coming." I said, "I just figured he'd be a little more original than
this."

"Well,
I've been a bit busy." Joker said, waving the gun around.

"Busy
not being sane? Full-time job?" I asked.

"What
are you going to do now?" Jason asked.

"This."
I said, shooting Joker in the leg.

"Phoenix!"
Batman shouted, trying to free himself.

I
walked over to Joker, who was cackling insanely, aiming at his forehead.

"I can respect
that." Jason smirked, "Now are you going to finish him?"

"You
took my life! I'll never get to go to college and sit with my friends drinking
coffee! I'll never get to experience having my first child or getting married..."
I said bitterly, "I should take yours."

"Phoenix..."
Batman said, struggling.

"This
isn't Oprah and I don't want to hear your sermon about why this is wrong." I
said angrily, "I want him to pay."

Jason
smirked.

"And he
will, in Arkham." I said, lowering my gun.

"What?" Jason asked.

I
turned to him, "Did you think I was going to be angry? You think I was going to
burn this city to the ground, find him and...what? Kill him? He doesn't deserve
death. He deserves to rot in Arkham." I explained.

"You've
always been weak!" Jason said, aiming at the Joker.

I
raised my hand and the gun flew from his hand, "Your anger is your weakness."

"I'm
going to kick your ass." Jason said.

I
chuckled, "I've been waiting for you to say that, you idiot."

Jason
launched at me and tackled me to the ground. I rolled him over and was on top
of him. I jumped off him and looked down at him.

"What're
you doing?" Jason asked.

"I'm
waiting for you to kick my ass." I smirked, signaling for him to come again.

Jason
stood up. He ran at me, kicking, but I ducked it and blocked an oncoming punch.
He caught me with a backhand and I growled. I jumped over a footsweep
and kicked him in the chin!

"Come
on, all that anger and you can't take little ole me down?" I asked, "Big, Bad
Jason Todd and you can't even take down a dead man?"

Jason
came at me with a giant punched, but I jumped over him and kicked him from
behind.

"You're
boring me." I said monotonously.

Jason
was pissed! He was walking towards me before he stopped mid-stride.

"Did I
mention I could probably squash you with my mind?" I asked.

"The Joker!" Batman shouted.

I
turned to see the Joker standing by the machine. He flipped the switch and the
machine started again. Batman threw a batarang and
knocked Joker unconscious!

"Get him out of here." Batman said to Jason and Robin. He then turned to me, "Phoenix..."

I was
looking at the machine, scared for the first time being back. The thing that
killed me was back with a vengeance. I knew that everything was leading up to
this. I knew this exact moment was coming and now that it was here...I wasn't
ready.

"I knew I'd have to say goodbye." I said, not looking at him,
"Didn't think it would be this hard."

"We can
find another way." Batman said.

The
moments flashed through my mind like a whirlwind, nearly taking me off my feet.
Not only were there past and present moments, but future moments. I could see
the future, but I couldn't live them.

"You
didn't come to stay, did you?" Batman asked darkly, "You dad..."

"Won't remember." I said.

"What
about your friends?" Batman asked.

I
chuckled, "You'll get along without me." I said.

Batman
took a step.

"No!" I
said, "You have so much to do in this world."

"Stay."
Batman said.

I
smiled and looked down, "It doesn't work that way." I said, "You know, it was
kind of peaceful there. Heh, I guess, it's home. She was there, ya know."
I said.

"Your mom?" Batman said.

I
looked at him for the first time, "You know you've got some serious issues,
right?" I asked.

Batman stared at me.

"I didn't
come here to help Jason...not just to help Jason." I said, "You felt pretty
hopeless and like a failure."

Batman started to talk.

"You're
not." I said quickly, "They want you to know that. You're doing something
insane and reckless and...noble. I'm here to tell you not to stop. I'm here to
say to you that it's who you are. You're going to save more than the world,
Hell, you already have!"

"You
came to help me?" Batman smiled. No, seriously, he smiled, "You're here to save
me?"

"I'm
sure not here to live. I'm not sad or mad or anything like
that. I will miss you." I said.

"What
about me?" Nightwing asked, joining us.

"I saw
you coming. Didn't think you'd make it in time." I
said.

"In time?"Nightwing asked.

"Be
ready to put on the cowl, babe." I said, turning and walking to the machine.

"Wait!"
Nightwing said.

I
quickly turned and threw my hand in the air, "Don't worry, sugah,
I'm just saving the world." I smirked, waving my hand to cause them to fly
across the roof and land loudly! I walked over to the machine and paused. I
looked back one last time and smirked. I winked and placed my hand upon the
machine! I felt the power, once again, surge through me and suddenly the
machine blew to pieces and the power was still siphoning through me! I let out
a chuckle before combusting!

"No!
Phoenix!" Nightwing said, running towards the
machine, but when he got there, there was nothing left. Batman showed up at his
side, extending him a hand on the shoulder.

-

I
stood, watching the scene. It was so tragic, yet so beautiful. I had tears in
my eyes, but I was smiling.